The Lonely Island

The Lonely Island dudes aren't famous. In fact, they are better than famous -- they are almost famous, which means it's still cool to like them. Ardy, Kiv and Jorm, collectively referred to as "The Dudes", make humorous short films and music video parodies. Since The Dudes started posting their work on their website in September 2001, they have gained representation from United Talent Agency.

During the production of the first Lonely Island pilot episode White Power, actor Kiefer Sutherland accidentally interrupted filming. In the scene, The Dudes, needing money to fund their tooth whitener addiction, beat an old lady and snatch her purse. Kiefer stopped his car to rescue the old lady, only to realize that it was being filmed from across the street.

According to InStyle magazine, the National Enquirer ran a story recounting the incident: "Kiefer Sutherland was driving near UCLA when he saw a man snatching a woman's purse. Sutherland raced after the thief, leaped out of his car, and screamed, 'Stop!' The guy explained that he was shooting a student film, and the crew then begged Sutherland to appear in their work-in-progress." However, when asked to comment Sutherland's publicist claimed "It sounds bigger than it was, he was driving by, saw a woman getting her purse snatched, and tried to catch the thief. But he soon realized he was interrupting a student film. They didn't ask him to appear in it." Kiefer would later tell the story as a humorous anecdote on the Tonight Show and then again a year later on Letterman, each time with increasing embellishment.

A second attempt at a pilot, Regarding Ardy was screened February 18, 2003 at Comedy Central's proving ground the Stage at the Hudson. The twenty minute short includes an introduction by Brooke Shields appearing as herself, in which she "lets loose and huffs some ether," subsequently sleeping with The Dudes and getting knocked up. In real life, Shields was pregnant with her daughter Rowan Francis, who was born in May.